Opening Remarks by Minister for Manpower at CPF Board’s 5th Anniversary Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

1. A very good evening to all CPF Volunteers (CPFV). We are here to appreciate and thank you for the great work that you have done over the last five years. I am delighted to be here, and it is an honour to spend this time with you today to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the CPFV movement.  

2. I recall celebrating your first anniversary in 2022, this was during the post-pandemic period. It was a modest gathering at the Maxwell CPF Service Centre with about 60 volunteers. 

3. Tonight, we see a different picture. With over 170 volunteers in this room, and a growing community of over 2,000 active volunteers working alongside the CPF Board, this movement has come a long way. 

4. What started as a small but passionate group has now blossomed into a strong and purposeful community.

5. Your efforts serve a larger national priority in helping Singaporeans plan towards retirement adequacy. As Singaporeans live longer and expectations for retirement become more diverse, the Government has progressively enhanced CPF to keep pace with these changing needs.

6. Achieving retirement adequacy must be a whole-of-society effort.  This is where you, our volunteers, play a quintessential role.  Because you are a trusted bridge and advocate for CPF, you help to support fellow Singaporeans to make informed decisions for their retirement. 

7. Many people may not have appreciated what CPF has done. In fact, from October 2025 CPF received an “A” ranking from Mercer CFA Institute Pension Index, and we are the only country in Asia Pacific to get this ranking. That puts the CPF as one of the top five global pension funds in the world. I want to say that it is also thanks to all of you over the past five years who have diligently reached out, gathering the momentum. So I want to thank you.

8. Since the inception of the movement, the community has reached out to over 73,000 members through in-person interactions and facilitated over 80,000 transactions such as top-ups and nominations. 

9. I was told volunteer-facilitated CPF transfers and cash top-ups doubled since 2024, while voluntary housing refunds also surged eightfold. All of these have all gone a long way towards boosting members' retirement savings. 

10. Now, our various volunteers know that this impact is not built through large-scale efforts alone, but it’s actually through individual, simple, personal acts. For instance, our volunteer, Lim Phui Huong frequently invites friends for discussions over a casual lunch. And these conversations may seem small, but a lot of times they are actually planting seeds and this leads to growth. It becomes actionable steps like making top-ups or CPF nominations.

11. She is not alone. Kelvin Chew is another dedicated volunteer who has demonstrated exceptional work and outstanding dedication. He brought the message of retirement adequacy beyond CPF Board’s traditional touchpoints to the hospitals and community centres to meet and engage with people where they are.

12. Now, these are just a couple of examples, I’m sure every one of you here will have a story to tell and share with all of us. These are concrete examples because every single volunteer makes a difference. 

13. Now, CPF Board has also established a Volunteer Management Committee, or VMC for short, which is led by Chairperson, Soh Chin Heng and six dedicated volunteers.  Since January, the VMC has made tangible strides in enhancing volunteer experiences, maximising community impact.  Now with your continued support, I am confident that this committee will guide our movement towards a sustainable and also a community-driven future, all the more because we are all rapidly ageing.

14. Let me close with this line from Sir Winston Churchill — “We make a living by what we get,  but by what we give, we actually make a life”. And all of you are impacting lives, through your giving. Each of you here embodies that spirit — by giving your time, energy, your networks, and your resources to help our fellow Singaporeans. So, on behalf of CPF Board, thank you for the difference that you have made. Your efforts reflect the kind of society we are building — a “we-first” society where we look out for one another, and we uplift those around us. 

15. Together, let us continue to strengthen this spirit of care and volunteerism, and empower even more Singaporeans to achieve greater confidence and greater security in their retirement years.

16.    Thank you very much.